The vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong has caused outrage after comparing the incident of students storming a council meeting last week to the Hillsborough disaster when 96 football fans were crushed to death in the UK.
Peter Mathieson made the comments on Sunday, claiming “when I was trapped in the middle of a large noisy crowd on Tuesday evening, having great difficulty staying on my feet, I thought of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 when 96 football fans died.”
The Hillsborough disaster occurred after poor police crowd control, overcrowding and a human crush at a Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest football match resulted in 96 dying and 766 others being injured.
In an email to Mathieson on Monday, Liverpool FC Supporters Hong Kong chairman Steve Parry demanded an apology, saying the vice-chancellor’s words were “distasteful and somewhat desperate”.
“Those [survivors and victims’ family members] I have spoken to are highly offended by his reference,” Parry told the SCMP. “As a British citizen he should know better. He knew what he was doing but perhaps didn’t realise Hong Kong has a huge Liverpool fan base and community.”
Parry added that the comments were particularly ill-timed as the inquests into the tragedy are in their final stages, marking a very upsetting time for families.
Mathieson has since apologised via email, writing “If I have caused offence to you or anyone else involved, I apologise unreservedly.”
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